Yet the dinner-only restaurant, opening on Monday, is tablecloth free.

Past the veranda, the dining area that brings to mind a Roman palazzo, and the wine cellar room, you’ll find a cocktail lounge at the rear of the 10,000-square-foot space. It will host nightly entertainment: A neon pink sign above its stage says “Club M,” lending the room an old Vegas feel.

Foodwise, Amaya La Jolla — sister restaurant to Amaya at The Grand Del Mar — was designed to be a welcoming, neighborhood eatery, chef Camron Woods said at a recent media event.

The menu offers upmarket American cuisine: slow-roasted pork chops; a duo of New York strip steak with braised short rib; crab and lobster bisque. Sweet day boat scallops, often called “candy of the sea,” are seared and topped with a savory chanterelle ragu.

And there’s a distinct Southern influence here. The chef is from South Carolina. So quail drumsticks and wings are marinated in buttermilk, then fried to a crunchy, golden brown for an appetizer. Duck breast, slightly pink in the center, comes with a cornbread puree.

Entrees average $30, and each night’s special highlights a hearty dish popular south of the Mason Dixon line. Find Carolina gumbo on Tuesdays. Shrimp and grits are Wednesday's comfort-food creation. On Thursdays, Amaya will have baby back ribs, which, for those unfamiliar with barbecue culture, come from the rib cage of a pig. “There’s no beef barbecue in South Carolina," chef Woods explained.

And he elaborated on Amaya’s menu:

“It’s not fine dining. They’re massive portions. Nothing is over $40. And we have 300 bottles of wine and nothing’s over $100 (a bottle).”

This new standalone restaurant is similar to the original Amaya, found a dozen miles away at The Grand Del Mar, a resort also owned by Manchester. Chef Woods oversaw that kitchen previously (long-time cohort Matt Sramek has succeeded him as the executive chef there). The Grand Del Mar location leans more toward Mediterranean cuisine than this new Amaya.

Also the La Jolla incarnation rolls out even more prized timber (olive, ash, burl, mahogany, walnut) than its sister location, but stays within a similar merlot and gold color scheme.